Bob Marley 'Three Little Birds' remix drives Hyundai ad

The reggae legend resurfaces in a car ad with an iconic tune remixed by son Stephen Marley.

A little bird told us …

Reggae icon Bob Marley and Hyundai are the odd couple in a venture that's likely to drive sales for both.

Marley's "Three Little Birds", remixed by his son Stephen Marley and DJ/producer Jason Bentley, is the anthem in the car company's ad campaign for its new Assurance Connected Care program, a suite of features designed to ensure safe and stress-free driving.

The ad will begin airing Tuesday, the day "Three Little Birds" will be available for sale through all digital retailers and free to the first 15,000 fans through Hyundai's Facebook and YouTube channels.

"Birds" will be included on Legend: Remixed, a re-imagining of Bob Marley and the Wailers' classic 1984 collection. The set, produced by Bentley and to be released this summer on Island/Tuff Gong/UME, features 15 tracks remixed by such top DJ/producers as RAC and Nickodemus, plus a new version of Redemption Song by Ziggy Marley, Bob Marley's oldest son.

Hyundai supported the creation of Making of Legend: Remixed, a short documentary about the new album that includes interviews with musical participants and the Marley family. A behind-the-scenes look at "Three Little Birds" will be available Tuesday at BobMarley.com. Hyundai's previous music-centric programs entailed work with Skrillex and members of The Doors for the RE:GENERATION Music Project and with the Flaming Lips at the Super Bowl.

Marley, who died of melanoma at age 36 in 1981, remains history's leading reggae figure. Legend is the world's best-selling reggae album, with worldwide sales of more than 40 million copies, including U.S. sales of 14 million copies. It's the second-longest-charting album in Billboard history, behind Pink Floyd's The Dark Side of the Moon.

Marley has the second-highest social media following of any posthumous celebrity. The official Bob Marley Facebook page draws 42 million fans and ranks in the top 25 overall and top 10 among celebrity pages. Since 1992, his catalog has sold more than 77 million albums worldwide.

Source: USA Today